What is National Simultaneous Storytime?

National Simultaneous Storytime is an event that take part in Australian Libraries across the country each year. On this day a book illustrated and written by an Australian author and illustrator is read a many libraries, schools and early education centres across the country.

This day aims to:

• Promote reading and literacy
• Promote the importanace and fun of books
• Promote and appreciate Australian authors and illustrators

When National Simultaneous Storytime?

Wednesday, 24 May

National Simultaneous Storytime 2022:

The Speedy Sloth (written by Rebecca Young, and illustrated by Heath McKenzie)

"It was finally time for the event of the year, Spike couldn’t believe it—THE GREAT RACE was here! The other sloths said it couldn’t be done, but Spike didn’t care, she was ready to run!"

Click the following link to order your copy today: https://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/100102482

To obtain further information, please visit: https://www.alia.org.au/nss 

What is National Reconciliation Week?

National Reconciliation Week was began in 1996 by Reconciliation Australia to celebrate Indigenous culture and history in Australia. 

National Reconciliation Week is a focused week where Australians learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. Early Childhood engage in many National Reconciliation Week through various intentional teaching and invite their families and community to be involved to share stories or family values. 

When is National Reconciliation Week?

From 27th May to 3 June we celebrate National Reconciliation Week.

Activities:

• Children to identify the Aboriginal flag from a small selection
• Children to identify the Aboriginal flag from a small selection
• Group: Learning about the Indigenous culture and history
• Combine the children together - preschooler with a walking toodler and allow them to explore that outdoor playground with images, icons, flags etc of the Indigenous culture whilst playing appropriate music during the walk— there are many great songs about reconciliation. Ideal to start and end the the walk with the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
• Incursion performance play for children to participate and learn through visual, dance, stories and much more about the Indigenous culture and history
• Reading related stories about Reconciliation week. 
• Set out resources in rooms allows the children to explore and learn about the culture. 

What is National Sorry Day?

National Sorry Day is an annual event celebrates each year in Australia since 1998, to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country's Indigenous peoples, as part of an ongoing process of reconciliation between the Indigenous peoples and the settler population

When is National Sorry Day?

Friday, 26 May

Activities:

• Decorate the hand templates with colours and pictures that represent Sorry Day.
  • Cut out the hand templates ready to build the artwork.
  • Cut a circle out of yellow paper or cardboard. Write the word “sorry” in the centre.
  • Fan the decorated hands out around the yellow circle to create a Sorry Day Sun.
• Group Activites: disucssing and reading stories about the "Stolen Generation Stories"|
  Stories: “Stolen Girl” by Trina Saffioti & Norma MacDonald
• Incursions: Learning about the Ingenious and stolen generation 
• Patiricipate in a Sorry Day flag raising

What is National Families Week?

In 2020, the 18th National Families Week will be held between 15 and 21 May 2020. The enduring theme is 'Stronger Families, Stronger Communities ', with the aim of National Families Week 2020 being to celebrate the vital role that families play in community wellbeing.

When is  National Families Week?

From Monday 15 May to 21 May 

Activities:

• Celebrate the families in your centre by hosting a morning or afternoon tea for them. 
• Run an activity with the children about their favourite activities to do as a family
• Asking parents for their input and maybe get some photos of the children with their families i.e. do they like to ride a bike, hike, visit a library, have story time?
• Create a family tree by adding images of the children and families
• Run a centre wide project of the children’s family history/ extended family. What are there origins? What do they do as a family to celebrate their heritage?
• Intentional teaching - discussing different types of families in our society.
• Celebrate each day of the week with a theme:
  • Traditional Dress Around The World: Come dressed in their cultural traditional dress
  • Bring in a cultural meal and children can have a feast with their peers and educators
  • Bring in a cultural instrument, icon etc
  • Dancing to cultural music
  • Have parents come in and share stories with their child and friends of cultural stories
  • Learning greetings in different languages

What is Mother's Day?

Many Australians celebrate Mother’s Day by showing their appreciation for the achievements and efforts of mothers and mother figures; include stepmothers, relatives, guardians (eg. foster mothers), and close family friends. It is annually observed in Australia on the second Sunday of May.

Many families may also spend the day having a picnic in the park or the beach on Mother’s Day.

When is Mother's Day celebrated?

Sunday, 14 May

Mother’s Day activities:

• Organized walks or runs to raise money for causes such as breast cancer research.
• Plan a morning tea or afternoon tea and invite all mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers or any mother figure to the child and set up with many activities the mothers and children can engage in together.  
• Handmade gifts or cards being presented to mothers or mother figures.
• Mother’s Day poems being printed, broadcast, or presented to mothers and mother figures.
• Lesson Plan - read storied about deifferent types of families

For more details Mother's Day art and crafts, click on the following link: https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/mothers-day-crafts-for-kids/